Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism

My family and I are vegetarians...meaning we don't eat any animal meat. I became a vegetarian in 1994 for ethical and humanitarian reasons. I just did not feel comfortable knowing that an animal was killed so that I could eat it. And more than the fact that it was killed solely for food, the horrors of slaughterhouses made me sick to my stomach.
I was the only one in my family to go vegetarian first...my husband and children continued to eat meat. It wasn't until I researched it some more and found out the health hazards of eating meat - fat, cholesterol, drugs (injected into the animals), bacteria contamination, etc. - that my husband and I discussed it and we decided it was best for all of us to not eat meat. In the beginning, I relied heavily on dairy products as a large part of our meals - cheese especially. We became vegans about a year after becoming vegetarians. Vegan means no animal products at all - no meat, cheese, dairy or eggs. We became vegans mostly for health reasons but the humanitarian reasons also applied. The book Don't Drink Your Milk, by Frank A. Oski, MD, was very informative. Contact Teach Services: Donivan Road, Route 1, Box 182, Brushton, NY 12916, 1992 (9th ed.)

Our four youngest children have never eaten meat. None of our children have expressed any interest in eating meat.
	Of course, we have told them where meat "comes" from, rather than give them the wrong impression that it is bought at the grocery store or that the animals "give" it to us.
They agree with our choices at this point but I will always leave the option open to them to eat as they wish, after they have been given the full facts.

A recent event in our lives has convinced us even more that our diet is the best for us. My husband suffered a heart attack on May 8, 1998 (and a smaller one on June 14, 1998). We had been watching his diet specifically to reduce fats and sodium to help lower his blood pressure and he has done quite well. Fifty years of unhealthy eating takes it's toll!
He is now following Dr. Dean Ornish's plan for "Reversing Heart Disease", which, of course, is a plant-based diet with little to no fat and sodium and full of fresh fruits and vegetables, rice, pasta, grains, etc. He is doing well.

I am committed to our way of eating and will always be a vegetarian. I hope my children follow the same path, but I will accept the decisions they make for themselves. One of my pet peeves is the comments by those who are not educated about a vegetarian diet...some saying that we can't possibly get all the nutrition we need without meat and dairy. I beg to differ.
	One issue is osteoporosis (brittle bone disease). It has always been thought that it's a disease that affects you if you don't get enough calcium (from milk products). The truth is that osteoporosis is caused from calcium loss, not calcium deficiency.
And do you know what the #1 way calcium is lost? From over consumption of protein (meat). You see, our bodies cannot store protein. When we eat too much of it, the excess has to be excreted out our kidneys. To do this, it has to have a buffer. Calcium is used as the buffer. Calcium is taken from our bones to excrete the protein out our kidneys. Not only does it take calcium away from out bodies, it also puts a strain on our kidneys.
I've had people comment that we have "fangs" like carnivores (meat eater) so we can eat meat. I disagree with that as well. Our "fangs" aren't nearly as long or as sharp as those of a carnivore. Plus, when looking at the digestive tract of humans versus carnivorous animals, our intestines are twice as long. What do that have to do with anything? Carnivores have a short digestive tract because they eat meat and meat needs to be digested quickly. Since our digestive tract is twice as long, when we eat meat, it sits in there and putrefies. Honestly, when you think about it...meat is a dead animal. It's bound to decay. If it doesn't get digested quickly, as it should, the decaying process begins within our bodies literally. No wonder so many people have "stomach problems", indigestion, gas. Now, one can argue that some of those effects can be had from eating a plant-based diet too...but from the natural components of the food...not from it rotting away inside us! One also has to wonder what happens as this meat rots away in our intestines...I've read that the chemicals contained in it actually intensify. I don't think we have all of the answers because it hasn't been studied enough yet. More and more people are becoming vegetarians...societies that eat less meat than American's have fewer incidences of cardiac disease and cancers. Those facts alone should lead people into examining the issue more...even if only from a health point of view.

Everyone has a right to eat how they want. They also need to be responsible and held accountable for their choices. There are many implications from eating animals...health, animal wellness, environment, cost. I would like to see more parents give their children more choices when it comes to food. Educate them about the issues, even if you choose to remain ignorant. Let them decide for themselves if an animal should die so they can eat their carcass.

What We Eat
I am often asked what my family eats, since we don't eat meat or dairy. We eat many of the same items that most families do, just with vegetarian alternatives. For example, we eat hotdogs but they contain no meat. They are called "Smart Dogs" and we buy them at our local grocery store. Morningstar Farms also produces a good veggie hotdog but Smart Dogs are my favorite.

For sandwiches or casseroles, we use LightLife Smart Deli products like ham and turkey slices...all vegetarian, of course.

We also enjoy the Yves Veggie Cuisine line of products. They also carry great tasting veggie pepperoni slices!
As an alternative to dairy cheese, we eat Galaxy Foods products such as shredded tofu cheese (mozzarella and cheddar), cheese slices, sour cream, cream cheese, butter and parmesean sprinkles. All dairy-free.

Morningstar Farms creates some great products including chik nuggets and patties, breakfast patties (like sausage), breakfast strips (like bacon), veggie burgers, ground meatless (like ground beef), Scramblers (egg substitute) and even corn dogs! Yum, yum!!

As far as a milk substitute, we use Rice Dream rice milk. We use it on our cereal and while cooking. The kids like to drink it in a cup as well. We buy the enriched version which contains added vitamins and minerals. This rice milk has more calcium than cow's milk and the added benefit of beta carotene and vitamin E. They also make non-dairy frozen desserts too.
	Boca Burgers are one of our favorite veggie burgers. The vegan style contains no dairy, whereas the chef max cheddar does. They have many different varieties.

So, basically we eat like we normally did before we became vegetarians but our food is a lot healthier. I make our all-time favorites like lasagna and chili but with non-meat, non-dairy substitutes. We also enjoy cooking out in the summers and don't miss any meat at all. I even make my own shish-kebobs using the Morningstar Farms Chik Nuggets on a skewer with slices of potato (partially cooked), Vidalia onions, green peppers, pineapple chunks and cherries. I brush with barbeque sauce as they cook on the grill. Mmm, Mmm! Try it sometime!!

For more vegetarian and vegan recipes, be sure to visit my links page!


	I found some vegan eggnog (no milk or eggs) at a local supermarket and love it! It's made by White Wave from soymilk and has only 1 gram of fat, no saturated fat and no cholesterol. I usually don't like the taste of soymilk but this is very good! They also have regular soymilk, vanilla soymilk and chocolate soymilk. Yum!! I highly recommend it for your holidays! The holidays is often full of unhealthy eating so make a change while still enjoying old time favorites.

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